Imprinting



A118 20, 1929 c. E. LINCOLN Y 1,725,534 A IMPRINTING Filed OG'. 15. 1927 l W W WWW J5 'Patente'd Aeg. zo, 1929.

UNITED `,STATES CARL E. LINCOLN, or eLENcoE, ILLINOIS,

AssIeNon, BY MEsNn AssIeNMEN'rs," 'ro GEO. W. WHEELWRIGHT PAPER COMPANY, OF LEOM1NSTER MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION F MASSACHUSETTS. y

IMPnI-NTINGL Application led October 15,1927. Serial `Zlio. 226,329Y

5 accomplished by thecompression of portions of the sheet toa degree greater than other portions. iThe invention has to do primarily with the preparation of the impression plate or roller.

For the imprinting of paper and the' like heretofore, it has beenthe practice to prepare an impression-forming member, either as an impression plate or impression roller with the desired design, by engraving, etching, or electroplating. Sucih methods require considerable time and skilled workmen, and as a consequence involve considerable' expense for the preparation of each impression member. It `results, therefore, that considerations of economy limit the avail'.-

able designs, it being economically feasible to furnish impression-decorated paper only in srch designs as can'be sold in suiiiciently large quantities to absorb the cost of thev '-25 preparation of the impression member.

The present invention has for its general.. object the provision of a novel kind of an impression member and a method of forming same, whereby the cost of such articles, and consequently. the cost of impressiondecorated pa-per,'may,be reduced to 'a point which renders it economically feasible to furnish distinctive .designs in smallruns.

Another Jobject is the provision of an improved impression memberand a method offorming it, whereby the time required for the production of such an article, and consequently for the production of the impres` 'sion decorated paper, may be very substan-l 40 `tially reduced 'from that required 4with methods now'in use.

A further object is the elimination of the necessity for employment of particularlyl killed artisans in the making 'of such imfession members.

Another object is the provision of an improved impression member and the method of forming same which are applicable -for use, not only in the imprinting of finished paper and the like, but also to the imprinting of the paper incident to its manufacture.

Another object is the provision -of an im-- f l proved impression member and method of `forming same, whereby an infinite number of different designs may be imprinted from 55 a given roller or plate, thus eliminating the necessity for a sepa-rate roller or place for each design.

A further object is the provision ofanimproved impression member `and method of 00 forming same whereby a given pattern or design maybe appliedv to an impression plate, or roller and subsequently removed .o with ease, to allow for `the further application of a different imprinting pattern vmi thereto.

Other and further'objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will appear to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or its employment in practice? v In the drawing `forming a part of this specification, I illustrate, largely in-'diagrami matic fashion, various articles and opera.- tions serving to facilitate a disclosure ofthe `invention, but it is to be understood that these are presented entirely for' such purpose and arenot to be construed in any fashion calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic detail in thev nature Vof a section through an imprinting apparatus, the section being taken perpen- V dicularly to the impression surface.

Fig. 2 is a surface view of an impression member bearing a pattern lcontaining a definite'design applied by means of a stencil.

Fig 3 is a surface view of a portion of an"90 impression member bearing a random design, applied in another fashion, andl lFlg. l4 is a perspective view of an impression member in the form of a roller, togethl er with a stencil and an air brush for apaccomplished by a depression of the surfacev plyingthe design to the roller in the form of a raised imprinting surface, the illustration being schematic.

In the preparation of an impression member, it is necessary to provide an imprinting surface wherein the pattern tobe impressed in the paper is formed by portions of different heights, in the nature of embossments or depressions. In the imprinting operation,

the paper or the like is subjected -to pressure while in contact with' the imprinting surface, so that the design is formed 1n the paper by the impressions of the relatively higher or embossed portions of the imprinting surface. This may have the effect of changing the. transparency' or translucency of the `parts which are thus *increased in density, or, in the case of colored paper, may increase the color intensity of the compressed portions. Such changes in appearance are y portion subjected to the pressure of the outwill dry or set in place and retain a raised standing portions of the imprinting sur' face. The raised portions of the-impres` sion surface must offer a sufiicient difference of height from the intervening depressions to render the pattern distinct, and they must 4also possesssuch rigidity as to prevent their being deformed under the heavy pressure employed and such durability as to preclude their rapidly being worn down. The present inventiomprovides an impression member having these necessary characteristics, and also a method whereby impression sur; faces of an innite number of designs may be formed, 'very quickly and very economically, the ,raised imprint-forming portions ofthe impression surface being formed by ,the application 'to a suitable foundation member, such asa platel or roller. of adhesive material in the form of a solution which form delineating the pattern. `It is desirable also that'the applied material be soluble in a liquidwhich does not affect the foundation member, so that the pattern may be removed from the foundation member when it has served its purpose. and another pattern applied. Thus, afsingle impression roller lmay be made to servefor an infinite' number of different designs. may be applied to the foundation member in any fashion which will admit of Aa sufficient amount of itadhering to the member togive the raisedv portions of the impression sur face suicient height. Various lacquers and j varnishes may vbe employed as the impression surface-forming material, it. being necessary, however, that they possess the 'characterstics of setting'L or drying with sufficientA rapidity to hold the embossed or raised form of the pattern elements, and that when set or driedv they possessthe-requisite hard- The material ness and strength under compression and the necessary adhesive quality to prevent their scaling off of the foundation member. Among the appropriate materials are the nitrocellulose lacquers of the type known generally under the trade name Duca lAn imprinting surface having a pattern design may be formed very easily by the application of such -material through. a stencil.

For suchlpurposes, stencils may be formed by cutting the pattern in metal sheets or in sheets of heavy paper, or lace of suitable Atexture ma be employed as-a stencil. After removal o the stencil from the foundation member, the ap lied material adhering to the latter -is permitted to harden completely,

whereupon the impression member` is in condition for use. For random designs, the material may be applied to the foundation member without'the use of the stencil, the only requisite being that it be distributed in such fashion as to form the raised or upstaiding elements of suiiicient height to imprint the paper. Moreover, the impression surface may be formed by the use yof amateri'alsuch as that known as crackle varnish. This is a form of lacquer orvarnish which has the characteristic of shrinking as it dries, I

so that its surface portion separates or subdivides into numerous irregularly-shaped island-like spots which stand somewhat elevatedabove the interveningy areas, thus affording impression elements of random form adapted to imprint the paper. ,I l

In the drawing are illustrated variousfexamples. In F\ig.'4 the reference numeral 10/ designates a foundation member in the form of a roller which is adapted for cooperation with another roller to feed the paper therebetween under compression. Here is illus- Atrated the application of the impression surface-forming material to thev roller, a stencil 1l being arranged on the surface of the roller and the lacquer solution being applied to the surface of the roller through the stencil by means of a suitable brush., here illustrated 4 as an air brush 12. Fig. 2 illustrates a portionv of an impression surface so formed,

i bearing a lace design, a piece of lace having been used as a stencil. Here the raised clements of the impression surface are shown the depressed parts of the sur- -white, the shaded portions of the pattern f y.degree necessary to qualify it to resist the pressures necessary for imprinting the paper, it is arranged in the proper operative association with a coacting pressure member, and the paper or other material to be iinprinted is subjected to heavy compression upon the imprinting surface. Th raised imprinting elements of the impression surface are thus forced into the paper and caused to compress orl increase the density of corre-4 spending areas of the paper, the opposite When the imprinting design has becomeworn down` by use, or has served its purpose, it may be removed from the foundation member by the use of a suitable solvent which will 'soften 'or dissolve the applied material Without affecting the foundation ineinber. After 4such removal of the applied material, another impression surface may be formed on the foundation member as above `described. This feature of the invention is of particular value in connection with roller presses as it precludes the necessity forliaving a separate roller for each pattern. In asmuch as the rollers are-necessarily quite expensive, the invention thus effects a Very substantial saving in expense. In addition to-the savings accomplished in this particuf ilar, it also effects great saving in the prparation of any impression member, b oth because of the comparatively short time required for the forming of the impression surface, and the simplicity of the operations involved, which do not require the services of expert artisans such as engravers, vetchers or designers. yHence, dueto the comparatively small cost involved in the preparation of the impression member, original or distinctive designs 'or patterns may be furnished for comparatively smalllots or runs of paper Without rendering the VYcost prohibitive.'

Thus, for example, distinctive imprinted designs may be furnished to individuals at small expense for such small orders as Christmas greeting cards and the like. the

. imprinting surfaces being formed, as above described, on the individuals copperl platefrom which the cards are printed.

The invention is also susceptible of use in connection with the inanufacture of paper, as impression surfaces' of the sort described may be applied `by .the method above exs plained to the calendar rollers of papermaking machines, the paper thus being imprinted as the web passes through the calender rollers from the machine. Likewise,

the invention may be employed on the dandy rollers of paper-making machines, a selected pattern being applied thereto as abovel de? scribed for forming a water-mark in the paper incident to its manufacture. In such uses, as in imprinting with roller presses, the ease with which the impression surfaces may be prepared, as well as the facility with vwhich they may be removed, are of particu-v lar advantage, especially in the direction of allowing unlimited variety of patternswithout 'involving prohibitive` cost.

What claim-is: 4

1. The method of forming an impression device for imprinting paper and the lik^ which comprises applying. directly to the surface of an incompressible .foundation member an adhesive viscous solution having form, and permitting the appliedA solution to harden on the foundation member with an irregular surface contour `above' the sui'- face of the foundation member. i

2. A method of forming an impressionl device for imprinting paper and the like,

l the capacity forhardening in coherent solid consisting in applying directly to interspaced areas of the surface of an incoinpressible foundation` member an adhesive viscous solution having the capacity for vhardening in coherent solid form, and permitting the' applied solution to solidify on the foundation member to form therewith an unyielding irregular-surfaced imprinting die.

3. The method of forming an impression device for imprinting paper and the like which consists in applying an adhesive vis' --cous lacquer directly to limited areas of thesurface of an incompressible foundation member, and drying the lacquer to hardness in the form of upstanding elements which form with the foundation memberv a rigidl irregular-surfaced imprinting die.

4. The method of forming 'an impression device for imprinting paper and the like los which cnsists in stenciling with a viscous lacquer a design directly on the surface of an incompressible foundation member, re-

.moving' the stencil, and permitting the lacquer to dry to hardness as upstanding impression' elements on the surface of the foundation member.

5.A An-impression devicefor imprinting paper and the like, comprising an incompressiblefoundation member having rigid upstanding imprinting elements adhering directly to its surface, said imprinting elements being soluble. in a solvent which is inert to the foundationmember.

6. An impression device for imprinting paper and the like, comprising a metallic foundation member with upstanding imprinting elementsr formed. of solidified lacquer adhering directly to its surface.

7.,A method of imprinting paper which 5 comprises applying an adhesive viscous solu-v tion directly to the surface of an incompressible foundation member, permitting the applied solution to harden on the foundation t member as rigid upstanding impression elements, and subjecting the paper to heavy compression against said elements and foundation member, whereby to Vary its density in different areas.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

` CARL E. LINCOLN. 

